I stepped onto the deck, carefully picking my way to where Emma sat sipping on champagne. Jack grinned and handed me a glass of the bubbly liquid.
"Where's yours?" I asked, noticing he didn't have a drink. Jack grinned and pointed his head toward what I assumed was where the steering wheel would be.
"Robbie has a strict 'no alcohol for anyone sailing' policy. Since I'm helping man the sails, nothing but water for me."
I nodded and glanced around the beautiful yacht. It was smaller than I expected a billionaire's yacht to be, but it was incredibly beautiful. Wooden decks gleamed, and from what I could see of the interior, it was furnished as nicely as Owen's house.
"How do you race on this?" I asked Jack, pointing toward a series of deck chairs facing out at the ocean. I couldn't imagine that would be very helpful in a racing situation.
Robbie laughed coming around the corner, his green eyes bright. "This isn't my racing yacht. This is my Caribbean yachting yacht. I like to race in solo competitions, and this one is just too big to handle by myself."
My lips made an "O" shape, as I nodded and glanced around. I knew nothing about sailing, but with as many sails as I could see, it was easy to understand this ship would need a crew, especially in harsh weather.
"Solo competitions? Isn't that dangerous?" I asked.
Robbie shrugged. "It can be. I just don't trust anyone else on the water but me. You should come watch me race sometime. I think you'd enjoy it." Robbie grinned, launching into a description of what the races were like. His eyes shone with excitement at talking about the sport he loved. He was a different person out here on the water. On land he was the ever drunk, screw-up younger brother with nothing to do. Out here, h
e was the captain of his world, and he took it seriously.
I was about to ask him more, but Jack called out a greeting to Owen, and I turned.
"Hey, Owen! Glad you decided to join us. I got worried when Kaylee arrived by herself. I was sure the two of you would be arriving together," Emma called, slurring her speech a little. Jack kept a straight face, but I was sure I saw Emma wink. I sighed. I was never going to live this down.
"Who's to say we didn't? Maybe we did and we're just trying to confuse you?" Owen gave me a wink of his own as he sauntered across the deck. I couldn't help but blush, turning out toward the ocean so my sister wouldn't see.
"Sure. The girl who falls in love at the drop of a hat and the man who can't help but charm every female he runs across, both of whom disappeared together for an entire afternoon together, arrived separately in order to confuse us. Sounds perfectly legit," Emma said. I wondered just how many glasses of champagne she'd had in order to spout these blunt truths so freely.
A silence fell across the deck as everyone avoided eye contact. Jack frowned at her and snatched her glass. "I think that's good for now, Emma. Why don't you go sit down and look for dolphins?"
She pouted for a moment, looking at her glass, but then trotted off to a deck chair. She swayed as she walked and it wasn't because the boat was moving. Jack just shook his head at her and hid her champagne.
Robbie broke the awkward silence, announcing that everyone was aboard and we were shoving off. I glanced up at the sails, expecting them to unfurl and propel us across the blue water, but instead a motor revved and we started moving.
"Don't worry, we'll use the sails. We just need to get out in open water," Robbie assured me when he saw my disappointed look. It was only a few minutes before Robbie deemed the wind right and turned off the motor. Robbie, Jack, and an experienced looking crewman worked the sails, the boat suddenly flying across the water.
I stood at the bow, the warm wind skimming the ocean's surface. The water was turning from tropical aqua to a sapphire blue as we headed away from land. It wasn't long before all I could see was the gently rippling horizon in every direction.
Owen leaned against the railing beside me, close enough to touch if we wanted, but far enough away that the others wouldn't tease. "You look like you've seen a miracle," he said.
"I've never been out on the ocean before. Heck, I'd never even seen the ocean before I got here. It's spectacular." I gazed out at the water as it started to catch the light from the setting sun. The waves shone with tiny mirrors as the water began to turn golden with the sunset.
"You're doing well for a first-timer. Have you been on a boat before?"
I shook my head. "The only 'boat' I've been on is a paddle-boat at Gray's Lake. But even though I loved that, this is so much better."
Owen stared out at the horizon, nodding gently. He was about to speak when we hit a wave and the boat lurched. I wasn't expecting it, but Owen caught my hand and steadied me.
"No falling overboard. I don't really like swimming in my nice clothes," he said with an easy grin. He held onto my hand, not letting it go despite the fact that I no longer needed it. I was glad; I didn't want him to.
We stood there, looking out at the water as the sun kissed the horizon and turned the world to gold and crimson. It was spectacular, but over in an instant, as the dark night surrounded our tiny boat. It was so beautiful I was sure it had to be a dream. The sky began to twinkle, the sky full of more stars than I had ever seen. With Owen's hand in mine, I was sure I would wake up at any moment. It was all just too good to be true.
Owen slipped his arm around my shoulders, his warmth seeping into me as the heat from the sun dissipated. I knew that Emma, Jack and Robbie could clearly see us, but I didn't care. Despite my best intentions, I was falling hard for this charming man. I glanced over at him, taking in his golden hair, perfect cheekbones and broad shoulders, wondering what I had done to deserve this moment.
The boat dipped again, and Owen pulled me more tightly to him. I could smell his cologne mixing with the salt in the air. He turned, his eyes as deep as the water, and kissed me .
For a moment, I let myself forget everything but that kiss. There was no island, no flight tomorrow, no having to return home alone, just this moment wrapped up in his embrace. I knew this would never happen again, that I would never get another moment like this. Tomorrow I would go back to my life in Iowa, he would go back to his life in Dubai, and that would be the end. Our worlds were just too different for it to happen any other way.
"Hey! No making out on my boat!" Robbie yelled at us. I felt the blush flare across my cheeks as Owen let me go. I looked back to see Jack giving a small golf clap, but at least Emma was passed out on the deck chair.